Folding table



J. F. HART Dec. 26, 1950 FOLDING TABLE Filed April 28, 1947 H 7TORNE Y Patented Dec. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,535,920 FOLDING TABLE J ohn'F; Hart, Craigmont, Idaho Application April 28, 1947, Serial No. 744,308

The present invention relates toan improved folding table of the type including a sectional and separable roll top together with detachable crossed-pairs of folding legs that are constructed and interrelated in such manner as to permit folding of the detached legs into a compact bundle about which the separated and sectional top may be rolled to provide a wrapped package that may be transported, or stored, with facility. Means are. provided whereby the flattened sectional top, when detached, may be rigidly mounted upon supporting railsfor use, and the rails maybe rigidly fastened to the ektended pairs of legs to provide a well braced table especially designed for picnics, fishing trips, and other outdoor sports, as well as for numerous indoor sports and games.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a table of this type that is composed of a minimum number of standardized parts that may be manufactured with facility at low cost of production, and assembled in separable elements, in order that the elements may with convenience be united to form a rigid support, and with equal convenience the elements may be dismantled and separated, and then packaged in compact form for storage, or for transportation.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be described in detail, and more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a complete example of a physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged in accord with one mode I have devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention. It will, however, be understood that various changes and alterations are contemplated and may be made in these exemplifying drawings and mechanical structures, within the scope of my claims, without departing from the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a folding table embodying my invention, and set up for use.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical longitudinal sectional view of the table top and legs, as at line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1, showing the pivotal arrangement between a pair of the tubular legs of the table; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view, showingthe underside of three of the top-bars with their uniting links or rings.

3 Claims; (01. 311-78) The rectangular sectional and separable or detachable table top is composed of tubular bars, preferably manufactured from aluminum stock, or other light and strong material, and the channel bars I, of rectangular shape in cross section, are provided with opposed spaced right angular flanges 2 and 3 extending longitudinally along the edges thereof to provide a slot in the underside of the bar.

In setting up the table, the bars arranged in parallelism as in Figs. 1 and 2, are loosely linked together by means of coupling links or rings 4, 4, which links are arranged in two series and passed through registering holes bored or drilled in ad joining angular flanges 2 and 3.

When the table is in use the rings or links 4 connect the adjoining right-angle flanges of the tubular bars to form a smooth table top, and the links or rings dangle through the bottomslots of the bars out of sight. When the table is out of use the dangling portions of the links or rings swing against the slotted bottom faces of the bars to permit rollingof the flexibly connected sections about a bundle of folded legs to form a compact package.

When in flattened extended position the sectional top is rigidly retained upon a pair of laterally spaced, tub-ular and rectangular cross rails 5 and 6, which extend the full width of the top, and each sill, at its opposite ends, is fashioned. with an upper integral lug I struck up from the end of the metal rail and designed to slip over a flange 8 on each of the two outside top bars I, I.

For use in attaching the foldable legs to the extended and braced top, each of the two rails is provided with two key hole slots 9, i3, fashioned in their lower plates and spaced inwardly from their outer ends, and also spaced equidistant from the longitudinal centers of the rails.

The foldable legs are of tubular shape and preferably rectangular in cross section, when extended, form a squared or rectangular support beneath the top and its attached rails, and this square formation is made up of four crossed pairs of legs Ill and II, that are centrally hinged upon a double headed rivet or pin I2. The upper and lower ends of adjoining pairs of legs are loosely linked or coupled together, as best seen in Fig. 2, by means of two eye-bolts l3 and [4, the eyes l5,

l5 of which are permanently linked together.

For co-action with the four key-hole slots 9, 9, of the two rails. two pairs of crossed legs at their upper ends are. equipped with a locking bolt i6 rig-idly fastened in the closed end of the leg, and the stem of the bolt, which projects through the slot, is fashioned with a spherical locking head or ball 5 '5. By this arrangement the ball or head may be slipped through the large end of the slot, and then the legs be shifted to bring the bolt into the smaller portion of the key-hole slot, for locking the parts together.

When not desired for use, the table may be dismantled by separating the legs, the rails, and the sectional top; then the rectangular leg formation is folded with the pairs of legs in parallelism, and the two rails added to complete a bundle; and then the bundle is rolled up within the flexible and rollable top to make a compact package that may be stored in small space, or transported with convenience.

From this description, taken in connection with my drawings it will be apparent that I have provided a table of compactly arranged elements, which may quickly be assembled and set up for use, and with equal facility may be knocked down or dismantled, as desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

. 1. In a folding table, the combination with a rollable top including loosely jointed and parallel channel bars each having a web and a pair of spaced opposed right angle longitudinally extending flanges forming an under slot, and two series of links passed through holes formed in the flanges and connecting the bars, of a pair of spaced tubular cross rails located beneath the top and each having a key-hole slot in its bottom wall, each said rail also having an upset fastening lug at the end of its top wall for coaction with a flange of an end channel bar, detachable legs supporting the rails, and headed bolts on the legs for engagement with the key-hole slots.

2. In a folding table the combination with a roll top including multiple loosely jointed and parallel channel bars rectangular in cross section, each bar having a longitudinally extending bottom slot forming spaced opposed flanges, and two series of spaced links connecting adjoining bars and dangling through said slots, of a pair of spaced cross rails located beneath the top, each said rail having a fastening lug for coaction with a flange of the respective end bars, detachable legs supporting the rails, and coacting fastening means on the legs and the rails.

3. In a folding table, the combination with a rollable top including multiple loosely jointed and parallel channel bars each having a pair of spaced and opposed angular flanges forming a longitudinal under-slot, and two series of links passed through holes in the flanges of adjoining bars, of a pair of spaced tubular cross-rails located beneath the top each having a pair of spaced key-hole slots, each said rail also having a fastening lug for coaction with a flange of the respective end bars, detachable legs supporting the end rails, and said legs having headed bolts for coaction with the key-hole slots.

JOHN F. HART.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 283,119 Knapp u-.. -i Aug. 14, 1883 830,187 Spencer M Sept. 4, 1906 981,114 Ridgely Jan. 10, 1911 1,295,194 Porelius Feb. 2-5, 1919 2,411,902 Skelly i- Dec. 3. 1946 

